Vatican calls comedian's verbal attack on Pope "terrorism"

[IChing]

ROME (Reuters) - The Vatican's official newspaper accused an Italian comedian on Wednesday of "terrorism" for criticizing the Pope and warned his rhetoric could fuel a return to 1970s-style political violence.

In an unusually strongly worded editorial, L'Osservatore Romano said a presenter of a televised May Day rock concert, which is sponsored by Italy's labor unions, had launched "vile attacks" on Pope Benedict in front of an "excitable crowd."

"This, too, is terrorism. It's terrorism to launch attacks on the Church," it said. "It's terrorism to stoke blind and irrational rage against someone who always speaks in the name of love, love for life and love for man."

At the concert, held every year in front of the Saint John in Lateran basilica -- Rome's cathedral where Pope Benedict sits as bishop -- one of the presenters, Andrea Rivera, spoke out against the Pontiff's stand on a number of issues.

"The Pope says he doesn't believe in evolution. I agree, in fact the Church has never evolved," he said.
>>>>>snip
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/02/AR2007050201301_pf.html

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The comedian had some other comments and objections to the pope which I found tame..

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Tell me, is it ME, or has the definition of "terrorism" become somewhat

broadened in its application since 2001?

[IChing]

5. Just by asking that question makes you a terrorist

you may not question authority:)

[badgerpup]

10. I've used the term "fluid" meself...

...in describing this sort of thing...
Short way of saying "It means what I say it means!"
We are in Looking-glass Land, listening to Humpty-Dumpty.

IIRC, though, he had to pay words extra for that sort of duty...and he came to a rather...
er...abrupt conclusion.

[Zodiak]

18. yup...anything said against a right-wing authoritarian

is "terrorism". So sayeth the right-wing authoritarians.

[porphyrian]

2. Well that's fucking stupid, and hypocritical, coming from the institution that used to...

...torture and burn people to death who didn't agree with them.

[IChing]

7. The thought police have just registered your objection

You will burn in hell after being burned at the stake.:evilgrin:

[porphyrian]

17. Good, I'll be with my friends instead of those assholes.

;)

[trotsky]

3. Keep it up, Catholic Church leaders.

This will simply help guarantee your institution's long-overdue demise.

[xultar]

4. So you call me names. I call you a terrorist. Okie fuckin dokie.

[Nikki Stone1]

20. That's about the size of it.

Soon the word "terrorist" will be meaningless.

[conspirator]

6. Bush has spread the new definition of terrorist: anyone who opposes me

[MadBadger]

8. And people wonder why I hate the Pope.

[Beelzebud]

9. So what do you call the systematic coverup of child raping priests?

[IChing]

11. "Love for man"

Geez, didn't you read the statement from the Vatican?

[DU9598]

12. Excuse me

Perhaps the Pope's anti-gay rants should be coined a hate crime. Maybe supoena his butt over here to testify the next time some crazed fundy goes and beats an innocent gay citizen to death.

[shain from kane]

13. Jack and the Pope went up the hill, each witk a buck and a quarter. The Pope came down

with two-fifty, OOOOOOOOOOOOH!
Audience: WHAT A FUCKING WHORE!

[donsu]

14. did you notice that the Vatican thinks attendees at a rock concert

were an "excitable crowd."?

[IChing]

15. Yeah italians in general don't get "excited"

about anything these days.:shrug: as compared to the Scandinavian countries.
Rock concerts are a solemn venue closely similar to a mass.


G8 protests.

[ORDagnabbit]

16. I'm sorry I forget...how many millions of people has the catholic church murdered over the years?

[UTUSN]

19. I call THIS terrorism: